Skip to main content
Entire home·Private host

Secluded Lake Retreat

Photo gallery for Secluded Lake Retreat

Smart TV, ping pong - Secluded Lake Retreat (Dowling)
Dining - Secluded Lake Retreat (Dowling)
Outdoor spa tub - Secluded Lake Retreat (Dowling)
Interior - Secluded Lake Retreat (Dowling)
Marina - Secluded Lake Retreat (Dowling)
Nestled in southwest Michigan's rolling hills, this house offers a tranquil retreat on 3.3 wooded acres overlooking Bristol Lake. Enjoy broad views from the hillside perch and explore the surrounding natural beauty with golf courses and hundreds of lakes within reach.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8204 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Air-conditioning

Add dates for prices

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Secluded Lake Retreat

Our property is centrally located in southwest Michigan, within a 3-hour drive from Chicago and Detroit. The region is known for it’s rolling hills, golf courses and hundreds of lakes. It is a place where recreation awaits year-round! No matter what your outdoor pleasure, from golf to water sports, you can find it here in our beautiful natural surroundings!

Our house sits on 3.3 wooded acres, and from it’s hillside perch, enjoys broad views overlooking Bristol Lake. The property is on a quiet residential street. Bristol is a 165-acre all-sports lake and is excellent for fishing, swimming and all manner of watersports. The lake shore consists of a mix of areas of sand and loam. The water gets deep gradually and is relatively-friendly to younger children (although we recommend life jackets for non-swimmers).

We have a large grassy yard along the lake with enough trees to give some comfortable shade in the sunny summer afternoons.

Property amenities

Ski

  • Cross-country skiing nearby

Pool/Spa

  • Hot tub

Internet

  • Available in the house: WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Car recommended
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Electric kettle
  • Hob
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Games
  • Smart TV

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio
  • Yard

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming cats and dogs only
  • Up to 23 kg per pet

Suitability/Accessibility

  • No lift
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • Near a hospital
  • Near a zoo
  • On a lake
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Arcade/game room
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Boat
  • Kayak
  • Table tennis
  • Casino nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Ice skating nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Mountain biking nearby
  • Snowmobiling nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Water tubing nearby
  • Windsurfing nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 2,200 square feet

Similar properties

Restaurant
Hampton Inn Marshall
Marshall
  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking included
8.6 out of 10, Excellent, 684 reviews
The price is €88
includes taxes & fees
19 May - 20 May
Hampton Inn Marshall
Compare similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM

Contactless check-in and check-out are available

Minimum check-in age - 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:

Strip any used beds and gather used towels

Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish

Turn off the lights and lock the doors

Please gather up used sheets on end of beds, and set used towels near washer

Please put all trash in large trash cans at the end of the driveway

Please wash and put away all dirty dishes before you leave. Also, put all moved furniture or outside beach & boat items back to original location.

Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Rules

Noise Levels: During the day, noise should be kept to reasonable levels. After dark, noise levels should not exceed that of a close conversation.

The septic system is very effective; however, it will clog up if improper materials are flushed. DO NOT FLUSH anything other than toilet paper.

Pets

Pets are allowed

Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees

Welcoming dogs and cats only

2 total (up to 23 kg per pet)

Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property on the number on the booking confirmation

Note from host: $150 fee/pet

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a deadlock
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Located in Dowling, this holiday home is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Hastings Country Club and Gull Lake View Golf Club are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary and Hidden Pond Preserve. Travelling with kids? Consider Cadwallader Park and Peace Labyrinth. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and skiing, and don't miss out on the snowmobiling and ice skating. Visit our Dowling travel guide
View more Holiday homes in Dowling
Map
Dowling, MI

What's nearby

  • Western Michigan University
    Western Michigan University
    46 min drive - 66.8 km
  • Bristol Lake
    2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Kellogg Arena
    22 min drive - 25.4 km
  • Firekeepers Casino
    30 min drive - 36.1 km
  • Gun Lake Casino
    43 min drive - 62.8 km

Getting around

  • Battle Creek Transportation Center
    22 min drive
  • Kalamazoo, MI (AZO-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Intl.)
    43 min drive

Restaurants

  • Horn Creek Pub
    12 min drive
  • Wild Mike's
    10 min drive
  • The Pub
    23 min drive
  • Edwards
    15 min drive
  • The Pasture Wagon
    7 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Secluded Lake Retreat pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much is parking at Secluded Lake Retreat?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Secluded Lake Retreat?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Secluded Lake Retreat?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Secluded Lake Retreat located?

This family-friendly Dowling holiday home is located on the waterfront, within 3 mi (5 km) of Bristol Lake, Little Mill Lake and Clear Lake. Mill Lake is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) away.

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Secluded Lake Retreat Reviews

Reviews

Exceptional

All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
More informationOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 116 out of 137 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 137 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 137 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 137 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 137 reviews

9.6

Cleanliness

9.8

Location

10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Caleb S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fall Getaway

Very nice cozy place to stay with plenty to do. Beautiful property to enjoy.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful secluded stay

The home is very well equipped and clean, the location wonderful on the lake with so much to do. My family and I really enjoyed ourselves and the owner is responsive! looking forward to staying again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jesse W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quick Getaway

This trip was just for my spouse and I and our pet. It was a colder weekend, but we enjoyed everything. We can’t wait to rent again when the weather is warmer.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kellie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Lake Retreat

The property was exactly as described, nicely appointed, and clean when we arrived. Perfect lake house getaway from the city.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lisa J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A truly beautiful lake!

Pretty lake, very clean, nice house and very quiet. Had a great time enjoying the surroundings. Lake was warm, beds were comfy and house was well stocked! Thank you for sharing your house!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kim S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Private getaway

Absolutley love this cottage!! Perfect location on the lake with privacy. Loved being able to rent the pontoon boat too! We did daily tours around the lake on the boat with many stops for swimming. Had the best time
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jeanne O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful Lake House

Our family of 9 people from 3 states stayed at this house in Dowling for a wedding weekend. The house is very comfortable and the kitchen worked well for all of us. The water is a bit ‘tasty’ so bottled water is a good idea. We enjoyed the early mornings outside.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Patricia N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Get-Away!!

Nice place! House was clean and had comfortable beds. The beach area was fun for the little kids. Adults enjoyed the kayaks and fishing on the lake. Beautiful views of the lake from the screened in porch. Really enjoyed our time there and would recommend…except for people who have problems climbing stairs. There’s quite a few stairs to get to the lake front. (The only drawback for some people. We were fine with it.)
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Briana M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cannot say enough good things about this beautiful home and it's owners! Absolutely delightful last minute booking, wonderful location and amenities, all of us want to return year after year
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Kyle B.

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Loved the place! Hot tub was amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Brian S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Sue was an excellent host. Everything as described. The perfect fall getaway.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ramona A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very spacious lake house room for big families! Lots of beach toys for the kids and adults, we had a blast!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Justin T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lake stay

The house is great, tons of room. Veiw of the lake is very nice. The area down by the lake is fantastic, lots of space, easy to get in and out of the water.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

BENJAMIN K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bristol Lake Stay

We had a group of 8 guys on a golf trip. The accomodations were excellent and we had a great time.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Loren T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lake house

Had a wonderful time! I will definitely recommend this place.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Leslie M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great House

A beautiful location with a great house!,VERY CLEAN!, the best equipped house we have ever rented.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cooper N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Memorial Day Weekend

Stayed here with some friends and our dogs. Great stay. Was very relaxing and we had a blast swimming in the lake and wearing the dogs out. Would recommend to anyone.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Lisa C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Host

Our stay was wonderful. The house was clean and comfortable. The only downfall was the trail to the beach area and the beach itself. The trail had rocks and sticks and was washing in. It is definitely not a good area for someone with bad knees. The water itself has a fast drop off not makong it very kid friendly. But, since we were 2 adults and a teenager, it was good for us. The hot tub was nice! Would definitely stay again!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

6/10 Okay

James H.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Nice place, just needed cleaned

The property was great, it just was not clean.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Charles G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

2023 Family Vacation

This is the second year in a row we have stayed at this property and what a home and property it is. My kids and I love to connect here while enjoying the basement games, the beach, the hot tub and the boat! Beautiful sunrises from the screened in room starts each day off right! Thanks Ray!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Haley D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winter Weekend Visit

The property was as expected and the view was beautiful! Hot tub was perfect for the winter weekend. Loved the screened in deck, cozy living area, games, local guide binder, and spacious bedrooms. Only a few minor negative things to note—the Keurig did not work, water filter on fridge needed to be changed, and downstairs bathroom had a musty smell. Still a great space with comfortable accommodations for a family who will be spending a lot of time on the lake during summer months!!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

John S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
First off, the owners of this property are very attentive and some of the best owners I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with (and we stay at 1-2 different lake homes each year). They went above and beyond to try and right a few wrongs. Overall, this place was great, very cozy and has a rustic, woodsy, lake house feel. It is high up from the water so you do not have a clear view of the swim area and there are some uneven steps down, but there is a hand rail and my older parents (78 and 80) did not love the extra steps but managed just fine. The boat that is rented with the cottage should probably just be included in the base price. It is pretty beat up and only has 5 seats. The pier is small, so you need the boat to hang out if you want to sit over the water. It is not great for this. The engine runs a bit rough, loud and does not move much, but better than nothing for just tooling around the lake. I am sure renting a boat is no fun from an owners perspective, but a clear heads up about its condition would be suggested. Lastly
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carolyn K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very clean!

House and grounds were super clean! This was located in a great location with quite a few stairs to get down to the lake. Lake was great, we used the kayaks that are included and fished off the pier. The house lacked a couple basics but the owner assisted when notified. The pans provided are pretty worn and are no longer non-stick. They were very difficult to cook on, keep this in mind if you plan on frying anything on the stove top. The pool table, air hockey table and ping pong table were perfect for our group also. 2 sets of newer washers/dryers, 1 on each floor was super convenient! Would recommend and would return!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020
From a partner site

4/10 Poor

Brenna M.

Dangerous steps down to water

I broke my ankle at this house on the step out to the screened room. Maybe it is best to have a sign there to let people know about the step. The house was nice, it was a little warm in there at times. We liked our stay there but wish we would of known about the treacherous walk down to the water. Our 80 year old mother fell also on her way down the walkway. There was no lights so it was very difficult at night. My broken ankle made it much worse. It would of been nice to be contacted by the homeowner after i fell and broke my ankle to see how i was doing, but we never got contacted, even after we let tgem know. We wont stay here again because of the dangerous walkway that you need to use to go to the lake. In none of the reviews does anyone mention the steep walk path, this is important information.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2017
Verified

8/10 Good

sara s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Overall we had a very great time. We caught plenty of fish at all times of the day. The porch was nice as well, slightly overgrown and would of been better if trimmed up more for a view.The house was spacious for the 8 of us. 1 room was in the basement, just so others know. The basement bathroom is also a full bathroom, as we were unsure with the listing. The walk down,one stair case was overgrown and unable to use it at all. The other one, it is quite a hike. There was tons of stuff in the shed down there to use if items and great to store our stuff while there. The bedrooms were pretty big as well. Having the highchair and pack and play there helped a ton. The beds also were comfortable with plenty of blanket and extra pillows around for us. It would of been nice for the 2 other bedrooms to have tv also. The kitchen had a lot of pans, griddle coffeemaker and tons there, however the stove could use an upgrade, we couldnt get one burner to work at all. The knives could also be replaced, the plastic knives we had were sharper. The basement stairs are pretty seep and smaller stairs, and could be difficult for some coming there, we had one of our guest who couldnt make it there how they were. The air hockey table air wouldnt blow the pucks, but still could play some.The basement was nice of the walk out tho once there. The hot tub i dont believe was at the temp it said it was and was a little cooler, but was still warm and needed after the hikes back and forth the stairs down.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025